The 28-year-old billionaire is forming a political campaign group that is expected to focus initially on liberalising the US immigration and visa system.

Mr Zuckerberg, who has previously donated $100m (€77m) of his $13bn (€10bn) fortune to the state school system in his native New Jersey, is said to be ready to use another $20m (€15m) on the new venture.

Work on the group will reunite him with Joe Green, his room-mate at Harvard University, who also went on to be a successful technology entrepreneur.

The pair are courting other financial backers.

Technology firms such as Mr Zuckerberg's have complained that America's strict migration controls prevent them from recruiting talented foreigners and overseas graduates.

Earlier this month, he and 99 other chief executives wrote a letter to President Barack Obama and Congress, urging them to ensure that plans being drawn up address this problem.

Upset

Mr Zuckerberg is also poised to further upset left-wing admirers he shocked earlier this year by hosting a fundraiser for Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey.

His new campaign group will be fronted by Jon Lerner and Rob Jesmer, consultants from the right wing of the Republican party, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.